


Carry You Over

by TJ_Dragonblade



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Brunnhilde (minor appearance), Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-08 08:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14101512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TJ_Dragonblade/pseuds/TJ_Dragonblade
Summary: There's a lot to process when the Ark reaches Earth and Bruce had plenty on his mind to begin with.





	Carry You Over

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing serves mostly as an exercise in attempting to get a feel for writing these guys. I don't know that I have it yet, either. It's quite possible I'll revisit this in a year or two and go 'Oh god no' and rewrite it entirely. ~~I've already rewritten it once, to nearly double my original word count, but still~~. Also, a proper title escapes me so this has been slapped with a vaguely-relevant bit of lyric from a semi-relevant song on my Thor/Bruce playlist. See endnotes for further info.
> 
> Ambiguous timeline; pretend they actually get back to Earth with a day or two for debriefing before Thanos shows up, or...something.  
> =====  
> Started: 12/18/17  
> Drafted: 01/03/18 -> redrafted 2/28/18  
> Posted: 03/25/18

"Oh—hey." Bruce drew up short at finding the observation lounge already occupied, not sure he was in the mood for company, not wanting to intrude if Thor was also looking for time alone.

"Bruce! Please, join me." Thor's smile was weary but genuine, though, his whole face lighting up with it, and even tired as Bruce was himself he still warmed a little at how Thor reacted to his presence. Thor's company was probably better than stewing on his own, in any case.

He came around and sat carefully on the edge of the couch at the opposite end from Thor, hands clasped and elbows on his knees, turning his gaze out the massive windows. 

The by-now-familiar black of space gazed back, Earth a sizeable blue body below.

They'd been down there, earlier, had announced their return and done several debriefings with the team—or what was left of it.

Odd to think that this ship, after a couple of months, felt more like home right now than his actual home planet did.

"Not tired, Beloved?"

Heat crept up his neck, just a little; he was getting used to Thor's habit of affectionate epithets but it still gave him pause. He'd be lying if he said he wanted Thor to stop, but most of the time he just didn't know what to do with the way those names made him feel.

He shook his head. "I'm exhausted, actually. But my brain won't shut off."

Thor sat forward, attentive, frowning softly. "What troubles you?"

Bruce shifted, dropped his face into both hands and dragged them back through his hair, fingers lacing briefly behind his ducked head. "Everything. Nothing. I don't know." He glanced back up, let his hands fall away.

A crease appeared between Thor's eyebows, his frown deepening, and Bruce sighed, made the attempt to elaborate because dating someone usually meant you talked to them about things like this. "I mean—today was a lot to take in and on top of—everything else lately my head is just. Full of noise. Like." He tried to pick a couple of thoughts that would translate to coherent words. "What are we gonna do when the next outer space invasion happens, or. What if the next big threat—and lets be real there's always gonna be something—is too much for this team. Is the whole 'team' thing even a feasible idea still considering the state of things right now." Apparently finding the words for one thought was all it took to start the rest tumbling out. "Would anything be different if I'd stopped Tony from working on Ultron instead of pitching in. Would I have signed those Accords if I'd been on Earth or would I be on the run with Cap and the others right now. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to work with Ross."

He realized that in all likelihood no one who might have objected was given a choice in the matter, but oh that had still been a nasty surprise—and one more reason not to stay planetside; nobody on earth could claim any kind of extradition rights or jurisdiction over an alien refugee spaceship.

Thor was listening intently, entirely focused on him, and Bruce's clamoring thoughts kept spilling on. "I mean thank god Ross wasn't actually there today but surely he's been notified by now and oh, man I am not looking forward to dealing with him." He shook his head, not willing to dwell on it. "Did Tony ever get the help he needs for his PTSD? Could I have done more to help him?" He'd turned fully now to face Thor, was gesturing semi-animatedly as he continued. "Am I too fixated on my own problems to notice when somebody else isn't asking for the help they need. Are my theories about my own 'problem' even on the right track. Was I deluding myself to ever think that full control might be possible? Was I wrong to accept that there's no undoing the Hulk? And say it _was_ reversible, would that even be the right thing to do anymore. Since he kind of has his own life now is it fair to keep him locked away? Is it fair to expect me to just turn the keys over for share-time when it's _my_ life first? What if _he_ doesn't want to share? Would I have stayed Hulked out for _two years_ if that last change had been _my_ choice? If Sakaar time works different was it actually _more_ than two years for me? He let go this time but what if I'm under for decades next time. What if Hulk takes over and I just disappear altogether. What if the wrong people convince the right people that I'm too dangerous to keep on the roster. What if they'd be right? Am I better off sticking with you and your people? But what if Earth won't take you in? Or what if I hurt one of _you_ while I'm big and green, what if what if what if. Just—" His momentum was petering out, leaving him back at tired and frustrated, pressing his thumb and forefinger against his eyelids as he finished. "All these questions and tangents and worries, like...like little gremlins, running wild in my mind." He waved his hand in a futile helpless sort of gesture, clawed lightly through his hair again. "And they won't _stop_."

Thor gave a minute shake of his head as Bruce wound down at last. "Come." He sat back and held his arm out, inviting Bruce to move closer, up against him. "Let us weather your gremlins together, then."

Bruce hesitated, because all of...this, this relationship thing, was still new; but it was late, and no one was around to gawk at them, and Thor was a comfortable presence, was...just _comfortable_ in general, so...there wasn't really any good reason _not_ to take him up on his invitation.

He scooted over, tucking himself under Thor's arm; there was another second's pause before he went ahead and relaxed, leaned into Thor, made himself settle. Thor draped his arm casually around Bruce's shoulders, hand resting lightly over his chest.

A moment passed in relative silence, Bruce staring more or less out the windows while letting his thoughts hopefully run themselves out; Thor shifted at last, tightening the arm around Bruce just a little and bending to press a kiss to the top of his head.

"You will always have a place among us should you wish it, wherever we end up," he murmured into Bruce's hair, and Bruce relaxed a little further as the warmth of that touch suffused throughout him.

"I know, and I appreciate that." Bruce turned slightly, bringing his legs up onto the couch, slouching into Thor a little more and lightly clasping Thor's wrist after another second's hesitation. "And...I mean, I know it's pointless to fixate on all these things at all, let alone all at once. Half of them may never happen and the other half already have. And I'm not looking for anyone to...to give me solutions, or to tell me it'll be alright, I just. I want my brain to _stop_ so I can _go to sleep_."

"Mm." Thor kissed his head again and said nothing more, and it was...honestly really nice to vent his weird yet _very valid_ neuroses and have Thor understand that he wasn't expecting him to try to...fix anything.

On the subject of Thor, though. "So what about you? Why are you still up?"

There was a longish moment of silence and then Thor sighed, dropped another kiss into his hair almost absently. "...My mind is likewise full of troubled thoughts," he offered at last. "Returning to find our comrades at odds with one another is...very disheartening." He sounded as world-weary as Bruce felt. "This team has been another home to me, my shield brothers of Midgard, a place and a purpose and a means to protect your people. After all the things I have lost...I did not expect that to be counted a casualty as well."

Bruce was half-ready to offer hopeful condolences about surely everyone can work things through, surely the team can be mended, but held his tongue. He really had no idea if the team was salvageable at this point and he could tell Thor wasn't looking for empty reassurances any more than he had been.

"And yet, I must face the reality that it was already lost to me once I took the throne. How could I remain an Avenger while also ruling Asgard?"

That...had not occurred to Bruce; he drew Thor's arm a little tighter around himself, hugged it gently to his chest, silently communicating his support and attention.

"I am still quite lost as King, by the way. Despite all the preparations of my youth, now that the duty is upon me I don't feel prepared in the least." He laughed, briefly, no mirth in the sound. "I know that all kings have advisors, and I am grateful for Heimdall's counsel and wisdom, but...I fear to lean too heavily on him, to appear weak or unable to stand on my own, and yet I am second-guessing every decision that I _make_ on my own. It helps nothing that we are somewhat in a time of crisis and it would be easy to lament that none of this seems fair when I did not seek the throne to begin with, but what good would it accomplish."

Lacing his fingers with Thor's from behind, Bruce lifted their joined hands and ducked his head to press his lips briefly to the inside of Thor's wrist, still just listening.

Thor sighed, tightening his arm around Bruce again. 

"And Loki. Loki has been a valuable advisor as well and more help than I can count in keeping this ship organized and operating without incident, as you know. Now that we have reached our destination, I find myself wondering if I can continue to rely on him, or if his lack of mischief on our journey back has only been for lack of opportunity." He shook his head. "I do not wish to judge him by his history alone. I love my brother; I am immensely grateful to be reconciled with him, and yet—my heart says to trust him but my head urges caution. Heimdall urges caution. Brunnhilde urges caution, and she has known him far shorter a time than us. And I understand, but...what if my hesitance to trust is what will push him away again."

Bruce gave a brief squeeze to Thor's wrist, a gesture he meant to be comforting, and said nothing. He had his own uncertainty about where Loki's loyalties ultimately lay; the stories usually held that he helped as often as he hindered but of course mythology didn't always get everything right.

For Thor's sake, he hoped that Loki was genuinely in it for the long haul.

Thor sighed again.

"Regardless of my own trust in him, what if your world cannot forgive his past misdeeds; is his presence going to hinder our petition for refuge? Is there even hope of a place for Asgard here at all, when the people of Midgard are so fractured? Should one government agree to take us in, will others object? The tales of these Accords have me worried—do your governments have enough cohesion for a decision like this to be made, or will our plight become fuel for further strife?" There was heavy weariness in his voice. "I would not have my people be the cause of any discontent on your world. Yet if there is no place for us here, or if all of us are not welcome...what then are we to do?"

Bruce had no idea either.

The quiet settled around them, stretched; it became apparent after a moment that Thor had said all he meant to.

"Your worries are definitely bigger than mine," Bruce said at last, wishing he had something more helpful to offer.

Thor scoffed, bumped his chin against Bruce's head gently. "We are not in competition, Bruce Banner. Your worries may be different but do not think them less valid for it."

"Yeah, okay, sorry."

"You owe no apology."

"Still. Thanks for listening, especially when you've already got so much on your plate."

"Always, Love."

Bruce cleared his throat, soft warmth creeping underneath his collar. "And...I mean...you can always talk to me too? Even if I can't really...help?"

Thor gave another scoff. "Of course you help. I did not realize how comforting it would be to simply share my worries, but...I feel lighter having done so."

"I'm...here for you, no—no problem," Bruce offered, burrowing a little deeper into the couch and Thor's warmth, still awkward at just graciously accepting Thor's appreciation. "I'm glad." Probably should‘ve led with that.

Thor cuddled him closer, kissed the top of his head again, and silence settled comfortably between them once more.

The minutes ticked by, underpinned by the background mechanical noise he'd grown accustomed to as part of life on the ship, and eventually Bruce found his mind settling little by little. Thor was right that the sharing had actually been helpful; even with Thor's worries added to his own the thoughts clamoring for attention carried much less weight than they had earlier. They'd work through every problem as it came, together when possible; the comfort of that conviction helped to quiet his mind and after awhile he could let himself just...drift. He idly deliberated at one point whether he should excuse himself back to bed, but again—Thor was _comfortable_ , and Thor certainly didn't seem in any hurry to be rid of him, and...he'd go, in a minute, once Thor finished whatever tune he‘d started humming under his breath. It was barely vocalized, more of a melodic undercurrent thrumming in his chest really, and Bruce let himself be lulled by it, by the warmth of Thor beside him, the gentle strength in the arm around him and the palpable affection in the embrace.

The last thing he was aware of when consciousness finally slipped away was Thor still humming softly at his back.

~~~***~~~  
Thor smiled to himself as Bruce drifted off and dropped one last barely-there kiss in Bruce's hair, pleased beyond measure that he'd been able to help and that there was trust enough between them for Bruce to fall asleep against him, for them to share their fears and insecurities with one another as they had beforehand, to find reassurance in their shared companionship.

The smile faded a moment later, however, along with the quiet melody in his throat as it sank in that...Bruce was _asleep_ , on _him_ , and he was not willing to disturb that hard-won slumber in order to move him to bed or retire himself.

He had not thought this all the way through.

No matter; he would make the best of it, and perhaps sleep would take him as well now that he'd unburdened some concerns of his own. He shifted and settled himself into the cushions, carefully adjusting Bruce just a little so his head was better supported, and closed his eye to wait until Bruce woke on his own.

~~~***~~~  
Brunnhilde found them an hour or so later, both sound asleep—Thor with his head tipped back over the cushions, mouth half-open, snoring softly, arm still around Bruce; Bruce turned and tucked into him, back against Thor's side and head comfortably pillowed at his shoulder, legs taking up the rest of the couch. One of Bruce's hands still had a slack grasp on Thor's arm around him, fingers loose about his wrist.

Brunnhilde shook her head, smiling, and went to find them a blanket. Looked like she'd have to try one of the other observation lounges if she wanted to brood alone with the darkness of space, but that was really not as appealing a thought as it'd been just a few moments ago. Maybe Miek was still up—his kind didn't need much sleep and he was turning out to be a pretty fantastic conversationalist; she'd see if he was in the galley once she'd finished with Thor and Bruce.

They were still exactly as she’d left them when she returned with the blanket; she carefully settled it around both of them, then fiddled with the access panel for the observation lounge on her way out until she'd set the room to Do Not Disturb. Hopefully that would deter any other late night wandering Asgardians from discovering their king in such a domestic moment, to give both her friends the peace and privacy they deserved.

**Author's Note:**

>  _Sleep, Sugar, let your dreams flood in [...]  
>  And carry you over to a new morning_  
> \- Poets of the Fall, ["Sleep"](https://youtu.be/OlshWg3isxQ)


End file.
